


There's No Wall At All

by orphanghost



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, BDSM, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Casual Sex, Cis Male Character, Cis Momota Kaito, Crack Treated Seriously, Deepthroating, Dildos, Dom/sub, Dubious Consent, Exhibitionism, Impact Play, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Masochism, Open Relationships, PWP, Shuichi is an absolute horny disaster, Silly BDSM Honorifics, Spanking, Squirting, Texting, Trans Male Character, Trans Saihara Shuichi, Under-negotiated Kink, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 16:17:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21211463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphanghost/pseuds/orphanghost
Summary: How is it that shy, sweet, gentle Shuichi turns into such a demon the moment the sun goes down? When he had moved in, months ago now, Kaito had thought he was going to be the perfect neighbour. Mild mannered and with a very normal routine, he was going to be unobtrusive, quiet and hopefully someone Kaito could be friends with. They were going to hang out, check each other's mail box when the other was out of town, coordinate take-out deliveries, maybe go to the gym a couple of times a week.If either of them was going to have a sex life that kept the other up at night, it was going to be Kaito.Butno.





	There's No Wall At All

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Note: Shuichi is a trans guy. I'm a trans guy. I've written the way Shuichi relates to his body in a very self-projecting way because this whole thing is self-indulgence out the ears. This isn't intended in any way to speak to how other trans folk might describe or use their bodies. 
> 
> Also there's a fair bit of dodgy communication and practice in this fic, which is intentional. It's just for fun and fantasy, nothing more.

The problem isn't that Shuichi gets laid more than he does, Kaito insists to himself as he lies in bed and stares up at the ceiling. The problem is that the walls are just far, far, _far_ too thin. This isn't a him problem. It's definitely not a Shuichi problem, even if it kind of feels like it right now. It might be a body corporate problem. 

He groans and rolls over to the edge of his bed, grabbing his phone off the nightstand. Pale light floods his face, the rest of the room swamped in blackness. He begins to draft an email. 

It isn't an unreasonable time to have sex. It's only eleven at night. He can't fault Shuichi that. It's just that every slap of impact against flesh, every held back cry, every pause and murmured comfort before it comes again -- like a whip crack: _SLAP _— punches Kaito in the stomach as though it's _him_ taking a beating. 

_RE: Soundproofing apartments_

_To whom it may concern, _

Wow, he can really just, really just hear every hitch in Shuichi's voice tonight, huh? That's… fine. That's _fine_. He knows Shuichi loves this, even if on its face he sounds like he's in agony. He doesn't need to be worried about him. 

_To whom it may concern, can you please please please just pour as much concrete as it takes down the middle of this building so I don't have to hear—_

Oh, maybe he _is_ worried. That cheers Kaito up. This is healthy concern, that's all it is. It really does sound like Shuichi is getting wailed on. He may be into that, but surely there's a point where it's too much even for him. What would a hero do? Rescue him? Save him from himself? 

_To whom it may concern, what the fuck are the walls even made from? The cardboard from cereal boxes? How did this pass muster during the building inspection—_

He definitely can't go over there. Obviously. He can't interrupt, not if Shuichi is having the time of his life. But maybe he can… 

Maybe he can just send him a friendly text. Checking in. Casual. Breezy. It's not like Shuichi will see it until later, but maybe it'll put Kaito's mind to rest when he confirms that everything going on through those silk-thin walls is up to code and above board. 

Breezy. 

_— Hey bro_

Casual. 

_— Hey bro, congrats on the sex. _

Backspace, backspace, backspace. 

Kaito drags his hand down his face. 

_— Hey man, show me that you're smiling, alright? _

Sent 11:12 PM. 

And… immediate regret. So, maybe the problem isn't that Shuichi is getting laid and Kaito isn't, and maybe it's not the paper thin walls, and maybe it's not that Kaito is worried about him. Maybe the problem is the texting. Maybe the problem was the texting the whole damn time.

Because it has been getting out of hand in a way that invigorates and thrills and dumbfounds Kaito, and he knows that every message is barreling him headfirst into caring about things he shouldn't be caring about (like his neighbour's sex life), but he can't _stop__._ And Shuichi is encouraging him. 

He _hears_ Shuichi's phone beep through the wall. Fuck. Who the fuck keeps their volume on for texts while they're fucking. Only workaholic Virgos who have anxiety about missing important things at almost midnight, like Shuichi. 

The impacts carry on, uninterrupted. Okay. At least Shuichi isn't quite enough of a fretter to pause sex to check his texts. That's… something of a relief. 

Headphones, Kaito decides finally. Maybe he should have thought of headphones earlier. Hauling himself out of bed, he goes to find them. Through the wall, Shuichi _screams__,_ and that, _that_ is unquestionably a pleasure noise. 

The nature and rhythm of the slapping sounds have changed when Kaito climbs back into bed, untangling his earbuds and plugging them into his phone. The sounds are… wetter now. Oh. _Oh. _See, that's familiar. That's familiar enough that Kaito's stomach warms and his toes twist and he has to fight back a groan of his own. Those are good noises. 

Earbuds: in.

Podcast: on.

Kaito Momota, luminary of the stars, is not jerking off tonight listening to his neighbour getting brought off. It's not happening. 

He closes his eyes as the sounds are blocked out and the voices in his ears start up. He almost manages to drift off to sleep during it, but when the podcast ends an hour later, he stirs and removes the headphones to find that the room next door has gone blissfully silent. He smiles. Goes to put his phone back on the nightstand. 

Notices a message. 

_You did ask for it,_ he reminds himself. _Even if that was dumb as hell. _

The selfie is taken in the bathroom, and Shuichi looks thoroughly, _thoroughly_ fucked. His hair is messy and his cheeks and chest are flushed. The photo is only from the shoulders up, but he's _definitely naked _and _fuck, _Kaito hadn't even considered that. He's smiling dazedly and rubbing one eye with his fingers, seeming embarrassed. 

The text says:

_— Couldn't be happier. Show me you're not mad at me? _

Kaito stares at the message. He breathes out a chuckle and flicks on the lamp next to the bed, opening up his phone camera. He pointedly puts his earbuds back in, making sure they're visible as he plasters on a grin and gives a big thumbs up to the camera. 

Before he sends the picture, he adds several fire emojis and the words "GET IT" in glowing neon letters. 

Sent. 

Instant reply. 

_— I think I'm too wrecked to get it again, but I could try if you're telling me to. _

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

This is what Kaito means about the texting being the whole damn problem. 

_Look after yourself, bro, _is all he sends back. _Drink some water. That's what I'm telling you to do. _

_Yes sir, _replies Shuichi. And: _Goodnight. _

Fuck. His neighbour is going to be the end of him. 

*

They have a morning routine. Neighbors shouldn’t really have a morning routine together. Maybe that is the crux of the whole issue. No — the morning stuff came out of the texting, so that is still what is at fault. He could strip this back even further, Kaito considers as he waters his house plants. He can only text Shuichi because he has a phone. Maybe if he didn’t have a phone, he wouldn’t be feeling like this. 

But he needs his phone. And, given the state of the wall between them, they _could _just shout at each other from room to room if push came to shove. 

It is Saturday today, which means that Shuichi won’t be awake for a while yet. Kaito gets up at exactly the same time every day, regardless of whether its a weekend or not. Routine is the crux of discipline, and discipline is essential for going to space. Shuichi gets up whenever his alarm goes off, which is at 6:45 on weekdays, and at nine on weekends. Two hours and fifteen minutes of difference. Two hours and fifteen minutes for Kaito to marinate on how technology, for all the good it has done the world, is also the bane of his life. 

The first text comes at 9:10, right on schedule. 

_— Coffee, and I’m making pancakes now. _

Shortly, Kaito will be able to smell the pancakes cooking from next door. He wonders if the partner from last night is still over there. Probably, if Shuichi is making something. He usually doesn’t go much in for breakfast, and when he does he sticks to plain, simple things like rice and eggs, or toast. That is what started all this, actually. 

‘I don’t usually eat breakfast,’ Shuichi had told him, one day, and Kaito had been horrified. 

‘You need to eat breakfast! You can’t start your day without fuel!’ 

Shuichi had shrugged. ‘I have a coffee when I get to work.’ 

The following morning, Kaito had heard Shuichi’s morning alarm going off, as he always did, through the wall. Kaito was already up and about, as he always was, and he grabbed his phone and immediately shot a text to his neighbor. 

_— I want you to have breakfast today._

It had taken a while for Shuichi to reply: Kaito could hear the shower running. Finally, his phone beeped. 

_— Is that an order?_

If Kaito had known where this all would go, he might have said no. Instead, he said:

_— Yes. _

A few minutes later, he got a picture of Shuichi, halfway out of his apartment door, wearing his suit and tie and looking tired and _gorgeous__,_ with a slice of buttered toast in his mouth. 

Kaito had laughed. He isn’t laughing now. Every day since then, it’s been the same. For the first few days, Kaito initiated it. He reminded his neighbor to have breakfast, in the hopes of getting that same warm flush of laughter and the satisfaction of looking out for someone. And it worked. After three days, he didn’t even need to ask anymore. Shuichi would start the day, every day, with breakfast and with a check-in to Kaito, telling him what he was having. 

It was sweet. It is still sweet. It is _too _sweet, because it makes Kaito feel so good to have someone under his wing like this, someone who takes what he says to heart and follows through, someone who cares that Kaito cares about him. 

The problem is that Kaito had no idea what he was getting into, and it's not just breakfast anymore. 

The pancakes smell incredible, and the wafting rich scent of them is even stronger in the hallway when he leaves his apartment to run a few errands. But he gets his second routine text from Shuichi not long after. It says:

_— My friend is gone now. How many today?_

Kaito thinks, stroking his goatee as he walks around the shop. He decides to ask first.

_— That depends. How are you feeling? _

Shuichi responds promptly. 

_— My thighs are killing me and I can’t sit down properly. But great otherwise. _

Well that’s just straight to the point, isn’t it. 

_Fifty push-ups, _Kaito tells him. _If you need to go onto your knees this once you can. But there’ll be no slacking off tomorrow. _

He finishes walking around the store and picking up what he needs. He gets another message from Shuichi shortly later, saying:

_— Done. All of them on my toes. _

Kaito texts back. 

_I’m proud of you, _he says, because that’s what Shuichi likes to hear, even if he doesn’t ask for it. _Good work. _

Blushy emojis. They ding into his phone like three little daggers, stabbing him in the heart one by one with how fucking _cute _Shuichi is. 

Once, a little while ago, Shuichi had said to him: ‘You know, Kaito, we should talk about this. I, ah, really appreciate these little things, and the structure we’ve got going. But I want to make sure we’re on the same page, and that it's not too taxing for you to take responsibility for me like this.’ 

Kaito had clapped him on the shoulder. ‘There’s nothing I’m happier to do than take responsibility for you, man,’ he had replied. ‘Anything. Any time. I want to see you be the best version of yourself.’

‘O-okay,’ Shuichi said. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, then closed it, covering his face with his hand like he was thinking. Finally he added: ‘You know what I’m _like _though.’

‘Literally could not miss it,’ Kaito had said. ‘Now come on. Go fetch us some beers from the fridge.’ 

Shuichi had jumped to it like all he needed was to be told what to do, and when he came back he shifted from sitting on the couch next to Kaito to sitting on the ground at his feet. Kaito had thought nothing of it. They both uncapped their beers and picked up their console controllers, going back to the game they were playing — and Kaito also didn’t think anything of it when Shuichi rested his head on Kaito’s thigh, except for the fact that he did, _he did,_ and it was all he could think about and all he could do to stop himself stroking Shuichi’s head like a beloved pet. 

*

Again?!?! 

Two nights in a row. Kaito stares at the ceiling, watching the plaster tremble slightly as the bed next door hits the goddamn wall behind him over and over and over and over. 

It's different this time: a different person, a different kind of fuck. It seems to be less about tearing Shuichi to shreds with sharp lashes tonight, and more to do with just slamming him through the wall. 

_‘Ah— ah— ah— ah— ah—!’ _

Shuichi's sharp little cries are like fingers digging into Kaito's ears and eyeballs and scrambling his brain. He can see him. He can _see him_ in his mind's eye, as clearly as if he were in front of him, on his elbows and knees, his curved back slicked with sweat, his faceless partner behind him, pounding him relentlessly. The partner is faceless because Kaito has no idea who he or she or they are, but in Kaito's distorted, demented vision, they are morphing into _himself__._

He should put in his headphones. They're still next to the bed. He should drown this out with loud music and ignore the trembling of the walls around him. 

_‘Ah— ah— oh, fuck— yes! Fuck— fuck— fuck me—!’ _

Kaito moves his hand to grab his earbuds and somehow it ends up on his cock instead. That's not what he intended. 

He rubs the head of his cock with his palm, twisting his grip loosely. It's not too late. It's not too late to stop touching himself and drown this out instead. 

_‘Ohhhhh my god! Ah— you're going to make me—’_

Kaito's hand slides down his shaft and squeezes, and his other hand comes up to his mouth so that he can bite down on his knuckles to suppress the groan rumbling through him. 

How is it that shy, sweet, gentle Shuichi turns into such a _demon_ the moment the sun goes down? When he had moved in, months ago now, Kaito had thought he was going to be the perfect neighbour. Mild mannered and with a very normal routine, he was going to be unobtrusive, quiet and hopefully someone Kaito could be friends with. They were going to hang out, check each other's mail box when the other was out of town, coordinate take-out deliveries, maybe go to the gym a couple of times a week.

If either of them was going to have a sex life that kept the other up at night, it was going to be Kaito. 

But _no__._

Instead he’s jerking himself off, hard and fast, to the surround sound experience of listening to Shuichi getting dicked down a mere few feet away while he, Kaito, has not so much as had a date since before his neighbor moved in. 

Shuichi sounds incredible when he is getting close to coming. He signposts his orgasms like they are closing arguments, so that you know exactly what’s happening and why it's important. He’s not even loud about it, it’s not like that — instead he melts into a puddle of warm whimpers and hitching breaths and begging words that has Kaito ripping his hand off his own cock to stop himself coming before he’s ready. 

He spits on his palm and his hand tremors as it hovers next to his dick. His heartbeat thuds in his chest, pounding up into his throat and Shuichi’s moans through the wall are sweet, irresistible honey. He’s so close, he’s so close already and he’s not even touching himself now but the noises coming through the wall are close to tearing his orgasm out of him whether he is or not. 

_‘Ahh—!’_ Shuichi cries out and Kaito — Kaito in his heat, Kaito in his brashness, Kaito in his stupidity — moans. He moans aloud, forgetting to choke it into his hand. Loud enough to be heard. He moans, deep and guttural in his chest, and puts his hand back on his cock, stroking quickly. His own bed creaks. He’s panting between moans, his breaths coming harsh and ragged. 

There is a pause on the other side of the wall. A moment of brief silence, before Shuichi pants out, ‘_Don’t stop… don’t stop, I’m—’_

And the sounds of slick movement — body against body, headboard on wall — start up again and Shuichi comes. He moans through it, and Kaito can’t help but imagining his body tensing up, his limbs shaking, his chest rising and falling as he gets in breaths, the sweat on his skin, the flush on his face, the glassy look in his eyes. 

‘Fuck,’ Kaito grunts, and paints his stomach white. 

Reality crashes in about the same time his cum goes cool on his skin. He stifles a frustrated sound into his pillow, dragging it over his face. 

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck._

No longer a mantra of hypnotising sounds turning him inside out from the other room, but a fist grabbing his stomach and squeezing it tightly, until he’s curling up in agony. 

He’s fucked.

*

At about nine-thirty the next day, Shuichi sends him a photo of himself sitting at his desk in front of his laptop, eating his breakfast. It is his usual plain breakfast, just a raw egg cracked over rice and nothing else. Which means the friend from last night didn’t stay this time. Maybe they were uncomfortable hearing Shuichi’s nextdoor neighbor getting off to them fucking. 

Which would be entirely within their rights. Kaito is astounded that Shuichi is still messaging him at all. Astounded, and too ashamed to text back. 

He’s never ignored Shuichi before and he feels terrible for it. But he can’t. The guilt is poison inside him, coursing painfully through his blood. 

When he doesn’t receive a response from Kaito, Shuichi doesn’t ask how many reps he’s supposed to do this morning. But a little after breakfast Kaito hears him doing them on the other side of the wall anyway, and the sound of him panting in exertion is a little too similar to last night that Kaito _flees. _

He leaves the house, slamming the door shut behind him, and commits to spending the day doing anything, everything he can think of to avoid going home. 

*

They have an evening routine as well, carried out most often over text, although there have been quite a few evenings where they’ve been hanging out together anyway and have done it in person. 

It started on one of those nights, in fact, when Shuichi had been feeling down. He hadn’t wanted to talk much about it, but Kaito managed to ascertain that it had something to do with the soullessness of his job. Apparently his auditing that day had led to digging up some dodgy practices at an organisation, and someone was getting fired over it. Shuichi seemed to think the problem was systemic, not due to the fault of the person in question — but in this case there wasn’t much he could do, and the fall guy was taking the fall and losing his livelihood because of it. 

‘It’s not fair,’ Shuichi had said. ‘And it's my fault.’ 

‘Tell me something good that happened today,’ Kaito replied abruptly.

‘What?’ 

‘Just something good. I know this stuff at work sucks, but maybe something from your way home, or this morning. It doesn’t have to be something big.’ 

Shuichi thought for a long time. ‘I started reading a new book this morning,’ he answered at last. 

‘Yeah? What’s it about?’ 

‘It's about the ghost of Spring Heeled Jack resurfacing in the year 2089 and solving murders.’ 

Kaito recoiled, wincing away in discomfort. ‘I don’t like ghost stories,’ he said quickly. ‘So tell me nothing else about it.’ Then he brightened, grinning, and clapped Shuichi on the shoulder. ‘But I’m glad! See? It’s not all bad.’ 

‘Ah, he might actually be an AI programmed to seem like a ghost,’ Shuichi clarified. ‘I’m only a couple of chapters in.’ 

Kaito covered his ears, making a loud noise to block out any further mention of spooks. Shuichi laughed. It was a short laugh that seemed to bubble out of him and surprise himself, cracking through the sinking emotional spiral he was trapped in. He brought his hand up to his mouth as though to catch the laugh and hold it in, but instead it just turned into a giggle, which turned into a fit of giggles, until he was tipping over on the couch as Kaito squirmed and shut his eyes, pretending to freak out further now that he could see it was bringing the sun out in his friend. 

And since then, Shuichi tells him one good thing that happened that day every night. 

They are mostly stupid little things like ‘I saw a cat with a very flat face’, or ‘I fell asleep on the train but didn’t miss my stop’, or ‘My friend played me a nice song on her piano’, or ‘I saw the cat again and this time she let me pet her.’ 

But they always make Kaito happy, and he knows it is good for Shuichi to end every day thinking about the good instead of the bad. Kaito responds each time with sentiments which might sound hokey or insincere if they came from anyone else but him, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars. 

_‘If you think about it, the trust we gain from animals is the universe telling us we’re not alone. We don’t have to speak the same language or be the same species. We don’t have to think the same or feel the same. We can still connect to each other, and comfort each other and let those connections take our problems away.’_

And Shuichi will say something like, _‘That’s a cool way to think about it.’ _

Today, however, Kaito doesn’t expect such a message. Not after last night and this morning. And he’s correct. Instead he gets a knock on the door. 

He hesitates to answer it, but sighs and creaks it open. He doesn’t want to be too much of a coward not to face his neighbor. 

Shuichi is holding an envelope and he says, ‘Do you mind if I come in?’ 

‘Sure.’ Kaito steps back, holding the door open. ‘Dinner is just on the stove, sorry, I gotta get back to it.’ He turns around, turning his back on Shuichi, and hurries back to the kitchen where he’s got curry cooking. He focuses all his attention on the pan, and not on Shuichi following him. 

Shuichi doesn’t say anything, just stands in the little doorway to Kaito’s nook of a kitchen. He looks down at the envelope in his hand, frowning, and shifts on his feet. 

‘So, what is it?’ Kaito prompts when the silence drags on too long. ‘The letter.’ 

‘Oh… ah, just something I drafted today. The way this building was subdivided, it would be a big piece of work to make any renovations. Body corporate would need to sign off on it, and the request would have to come from both of us, since it’s the adjoining wall.’

_I knew it was a body corporate problem, _Kaito thinks, vindicated. 

‘We’ll probably also have to get go ahead from the people upstairs and downstairs and… well, most of the rest of the building,’ Shuichi adds. ‘Sorry, it’s a hassle. But I can manage it, I’m good at this kind of thing.’ 

‘Just to put in proper soundproofing?’ Kaito asks. 

‘Well, it’s more a matter of knocking down the current dividing wall and replacing it with two new ones and proper insulation. The current one isn’t thick or strong enough to hold studs, so it can’t really just be added to.’ 

‘Seriously? What is it made from?!’ 

Shuichi’s lips twitch into half a smile. ‘Basically air.’ 

Kaito lowers the heat on his curry and balances his spatula on the edge of the pan, turning to face his neighbor. He still avoids meeting his eyes, scratching his neck instead. ‘Do… do you want me to sign off on that?’ 

‘I mean, if you…’ Shuichi starts, and trails off. ‘It’s probably a good idea, right?’ 

They both stay silent for a long time, not quite looking directly at each other. 

Finally Shuichi says, ‘This is stupid. I’m sorry, Kaito.’ 

Kaito starts. _‘You’re _sorry? Bro, _I’m _the one who needs to be apologising!’ 

Shuichi shakes his head, dark hair falling into his eyes. ‘I should have been more considerate! It’s not like I didn’t know you could hear… everything.’

‘You’re entitled to have sex in your own house! I’m a big boy, I shouldn’t have been listening.’

Shuichi has turned a bright, crimson shade of red now. ‘It’s not _just _my own house though, not with the... and not with how I…’ He stammers, seemingly unable to finish a sentence. ‘I should be going to a dungeon or something, I just thought…’ 

‘A _what?!’ _Kaito asks, appalled. ‘That sounds medieval, no, seriously, you’re fine. You don’t deserve to be locked up, or—’ 

‘No! No, I meant a sex dungeon!’ 

‘A SEX DUNGEON?’ 

The red flush on Shuichi’s cheeks spreads down his neck and turns almost neon. ‘Oh my god, Kaito,’ he says. ‘Not so loud.’ 

‘WHO IS HAVING SEX IN A DUNGEON?’ 

Shuichi covers his blushing face with both hands, bending over in a fit of sudden (slightly hysterical) laughter. ‘Lots of people,’ he manages to get out. ‘Including me.’ 

‘Like... ‘ Kaito waves his hands. ‘With the dripping walls and the manacles and the boxes with spikes in them and the cells and the rats?’ 

‘Sure, manacles,’ Shuichi gasps, still doubled over, shaking. ‘No to the rats. I would hope.’

Slowly Shuichi recovers, eventually straightening up and propping himself on the doorframe with one hand, catching his breath. He looks extremely, extremely flustered still. 

Kaito says, ‘I’m really sorry though. For last night. I’m sorry if I made you or your…’ He searches for a word. ‘...paramour uncomfortable.’ 

This starts up Shuichi’s giggles again. ‘“Paramour?”’ 

‘I mean, I dunno man. I don’t know what situation you’ve got going on.’ 

‘My friend was a bit embarrassed,’ Shuichi admits. ‘That someone could hear us. They’ll be alright, though. They just thought it was a bit… weird, that I didn’t care. And that I…’ Impossibly, Shuichi goes even pinker. ‘Liked hearing you hearing us.’ 

Well, that’s… 

That’s something. 

‘Uh,’ Kaito says. 

‘Ah,’ Shuichi says. 

‘Oh, my curry,’ Kaito says quickly, turning back to his pan and stirring it. 

‘The thing about the renovations,’ Shuichi adds, in an equally rapid tone, ‘is that they’ll be disruptive. We’ll both have to move out for at least a week or so.’ 

‘I don’t really have time for that right now.’

‘Me neither,’ Shuichi agrees. ‘So we’ll…’ 

‘Table it?’ 

‘Come back to it another time.’ 

Kaito clears his throat, feeling his own cheeks warming as he pokes a piece of potato with the side of his spatula to see if it has cooked. 

The silence drags out again, equally as awkward as the last, but for entirely different reasons. 

Shuichi tells him, ‘Today I saw a really, really old couple slow dancing in a park.’ 

Familiar ground, thankfully. With that, Kaito thinks they can consider this situation resolved, at least for now. 

‘Some people think it's impossible for love to still be strong after so many decades,’ he replies. ‘But it isn’t, you just have to make it so. Love is an action, it’s doing things like that every day to show how much you treasure someone, it’s making a ritual out of the little things. If you practice the impossible all the time, never giving up, you’ll reach it eventually.’ 

‘I like that,’ Shuichi replies, smiling. ‘I think you’re right.’ 

*

Shuichi has toast for breakfast. 

At Kaito’s instruction, he does one hundred sit ups before leaving for work. 

Kaito goes to training for the day. 

In the afternoon, Shuichi tells him about a song he'd heard on the radio that he hadn't listened to in ten years, and how it brightened his day. 

Things are back to normal. 

Kaito gets home late at night and drunk, having stopped off for dinner and drinks with some astronaut training buddies on the way home. He’s not drunk-drunk — as in, he’ll be able to get up on time tomorrow and feel alright, he thinks. He’s drunk enough that he makes a clatter getting into the house in the dark, tipping over a stack of objects in the narrow hallway and sending them tumbling to the ground. 

He can hear Shuichi’s television through the wall, a low and familiar murmur of voices: but as he stumbles and tries to right his belongings, he hears it turn off. ‘I’m okay!’ Kaito calls, perhaps a little too loudly. 

Making his way to bed, Kaito shrugs off his jacket and throws it over the arm of his sofa. He brushes his teeth in the bathroom and chugs down a huge glass of water to hopefully offset any dehydration overnight. When he reaches his bed, he flops onto his back with a heavy exhalation, and just stares up at the ceiling for a long moment as the world dips and sways. He tugs off his pants, kicking them over his feet, and wriggles out of his shirt. He closes his eyes. 

Next door, Shuichi seems to be getting ready for bed in a similar fashion. Kaito can hear all the little sounds that indicate it: taps running, dressers opening and closing, bed squeaking with motion. It’s all a familiar pattern that he finds soothing as he himself closes his eyes and drifts. 

The bed next door creaks again. Shuichi lets out a low moan. 

Kaito’s eyes immediately snap open and he twists his neck, as though he’ll be able to look through the wall. 

_‘Nnngh— Ahh…?’ _

He sounds almost like he’s in pain, or exerting himself. Like a Pavlovian bell, the sound has Kaito sucking in a breath as arousal floods through him. The thing is, it’s not that hard to get off quietly. Kaito is pretty sure, with the exception of the other night, Shuichi has never heard _him_ rubbing one out, and although Kaito has unavoidably listened to Shuichi get laid plenty of times now, he’s never, to his knowledge, listened to Shuichi getting off _alone_ before. 

Which means he’s deliberately not being quiet. 

‘God,’ Kaito says aloud. Again, maybe louder than he needs to. Sober Kaito has very little inside voice, honestly. Drunk Kaito has none at all. He rubs himself through his boxers, a distracted and warming touch. He’s not hard yet. He feels like his body has shot from zero to one-hundred in terms of arousal, and his dick is lagging behind from the beer. 

On the other side of the wall, Shuichi gasps. _‘Ah, I need—’ _There’s a sound of fumbling, the bed creaking. Then a noise that sounds slick and wet, and finally another almost pained noise from Shuichi followed by a low groan. _‘Ohhhhh.’ _

Kaito presses his palm down firmer on his hardening cock, straining his ears to listen. 

Shuichi mumbles something, not loud enough for Kaito to distinguish the words, but he catches the last one. _‘... big.’ _

Letting out a grunt, Kaito frantically shoves down his boxers as he clumsily reaches for his phone at his bedside. Fuck this. He types quickly, his fingers shaking slightly from anticipation and his inhibitions well and truly gone.

_— What’s big?_

A loud _Ping!_ chimes out in the other room. The bed creaks again. 

_— Um, the thing that showed up today. _

Kaito can’t help but grin. The smile takes over his face. The fact that Shuichi can be so shameless and then so suddenly shy is just endearing in a way that turns Kaito into a mess. It makes him want to laugh, to shake Shuichi, to ruffle his hair, to encourage him to speak up. 

Feeling bold, he replies. 

_— Show me?_

He strokes his cock as he watches his phone, waiting for a reply. He can feel his blood moving through his body, heating him up. It takes Shuichi a few moments to respond, but when he does, it’s better than anything Kaito could have thought up. 

It’s a very artless photo, slightly blurred and taken from a strange angle, but _fuck. _

The dildo is frankly enormous, about as long as Shuichi’s forearm, which is helpfully in frame for scale. Shuichi is kneeling over it, propping himself up on the bed while he leans back to take the picture. The dildo is — and Kaito isn’t a dildo connoisseur, so his opinion isn’t an expert opinion, but he likes to think he has taste generally — beautiful. A marbled pearl colour, swirling pale blue and purple, it is heavy and thick, patterned with tiny bumps and twists which make it look more like an art piece than a dick. 

It is slick with lube, and the head is obscured by Shuichi’s body, where he’s just barely sitting on it, taking it inside him. Seeing Shuichi like this is a punch to the gut. He can only see his lower body, but the sharp lines of his thighs, narrow hips, the flat of his stomach, the way his lips spread over the cock, the flush of his hard clit, all make Kaito squirm with desire, his mouth going dry. 

He makes a loud and strangled noise, and on the other side of the wall Shuichi laughs. 

Kaito’s phone buzzes again. 

_— I think I might have been a bit too ambitious :(_

Well, Kaito won’t stand for that kind of attitude. 

_— Hey now, you really gonna quit just like that?_

There’s a pause, and some more sounds of movement from the next room. The rhythm of the bed creaking has Kaito imagining a rocking boat, as though Shuichi is riding back and forth, trying to build himself up to something. The sounds he’s making are equally rhythmic, a constant _‘Uhn… Uhn… Uhn…’_ as he shifts. Then he stops, and a few moments later the screen of Kaito’s phone lights up. 

_— Would you be disappointed in me if I did?_

Kaito reads it three times, calculating. He knows that Shuichi wants something from him, but he’s too tipsy to parse exactly what it is. So he opts for sincere. 

_— No but I believe in your skills and talents and U think you are capable of so many things and if you would hard b got anything your hard work will pay of cause the impossible if possible is you make it of_

Shuichi replies a moment later. 

_— Huh?_

Kaito reads back over what he sent. 

_— Sorry, autocorrect, tipsy and one hand on dick. _

He hears Shuichi laugh again. _Should I stop or keep going? _he sends. 

_I want you to push yourself to the best you can, _Kaito replies. 

A moan on the other side of the wall. _I want you to push me, _Shuichi says. The bed is creaking rhythmically again, and Kaito can tell that Shuichi is doing his best to ride this enormous dildo as he texts him. _You’re so sweet to me, Kaito. You make me feel like I don’t have to worry about anything. _

_— You’ve got it, baby_

_‘O-Oh!’ _Shuichi gasps out aloud. He sends another message.

_— Call me that again?_

Kaito would do anything at this point if it kept Shuichi making noises like that on the other side of this wall, for him. He has to squeeze his fingers around the base of his cock at the hitch in Shuichi’s voice to stop himself from getting too worked up, too far gone so easily. 

He feels like he’s drowning, out of this depth. 

‘Can you hear me, baby?’ he asks out loud, voice low and rumbling. 

‘Ah, yes,’ Shuichi replies. ‘Please, I—’ 

‘Tell me how it’s feeling. Does it feel good?’ 

‘Yeah, I… It feels too big, it hurts, but… it’s getting deeper and I feel full. It’s like getting fisted but I…’ 

‘Have you been fisted?’

‘Mmm, um…’ Shuichi trails off, sounding distracted and a little embarrassed. Kaito can almost _see _the pink spots on his cheeks. ‘But that, involves warm up and I didn’t… really…’ 

‘Speak up,’ Kaito encourages. 

‘I wanted to feel it. I want it to wreck me. I—’ Shuichi lets out a low moan, cut off by a cry. ‘Oh, it’s deeper…’ 

‘Fuck, baby.’ Kaito groans, stroking himself faster. ‘Are you— Are you okay? I’m gonna—’ 

‘I’m good, I’m,’ Shuichi stammers. ‘So good, I’m close though, I… I have to stop talking.’ 

The sounds after that are operatic to Kaito’s inebriated ears, a cacophony of moans and cut off sobs that don’t last long but build to a crescendo that ends with Shuichi calling out, ‘Kaito!’ as he comes, slickly slamming himself down on the dildo and shaking the bed so that it tremors Kaito’s room. 

In the moments following, there is another creak and then a heavy _thunk_ of a body hitting the adjoining wall. It nearly bends under the weight. Shuichi’s voice when he speaks is closer up, like he is slumped against the divider. 

‘Kaito?’ 

Kaito is still working his cock in fast, desperate strokes. ‘Yeah—’ 

‘Are you still…?’ 

‘I’m so close, babe, I just need—’ To have drunk less tonight, probably. Although, if he was sober he’d have easily come by now, and possibly too soon. And if he had, he wouldn’t be listening now to Shuichi’s voice, sex slurred and tired, egging him on through the wall with a low:

‘Please come for me, I want to hear you. I know you’re not shy. Next time… next time you can do it on my face if you want, cover me in it and I’ll wear it like that. If you did it in the morning you could come on my face, in my hair, and I wouldn’t wash it off, I’d get dressed and I’d leave the house like that, show it off all day, you marking me as yours.’

‘Fuck,’ Kaito grits out, his body tensing. ‘Fuck, I—’ 

‘Or you could come in me instead, whichever hole you like, I don’t mind. As deep as you can go. Just leave me in bed, naked, ready to use. And come back to use me whenever you feel like it, just holes at your disposal.’ 

‘No, I—’ Kaito starts, but he’s already coming, cutting himself off with a strangled noise and swearing as he shoots off all over his chest. 

‘Thank you,’ Shuichi hums through the wall. ‘Thank you, daddy, thank you.’

‘I wouldn’t want to use you like that,’ Kaito rumbles, his eyes half lidded as he goes boneless. His words are trailing together like straggling ducklings in a row. ‘Like you’re nothing. You’re too good for that. You work so hard to be good for me, you deserve to be shown that.’

Shuichi is quiet on the other side of the wall for a moment. When he speaks, he sounds a little strangled. ‘Kaito, I…’ 

‘Also, you’re _filthy__,_ goddamn.’ 

‘Ah, thanks.’ Shuichi laughs. ‘I’m gonna clean up and sleep now. Goodnight, Kaito.’ 

‘G’night man,’ Kaito drawls. He absently wipes off his stomach with his discarded shirt and throws it towards the washing pile, before flopping onto his back again, head on his pillow. He hears Shuichi get up, but is asleep before he hears him return.

*

_Whoa. _

Is the first thing Kaito thinks upon waking up the next day. _That’s a lot to sort through. _

For a moment he thinks that maybe the whole thing was just a very immersive wet dream, but no — the messages are still on his phone, including the one of Shuichi trying to sit on the dildo, and (once again), _fuck. _

Kaito jerks off to the picture before he gets out of bed, and by the time he’s up he’s running late and Shuichi has just texted him about breakfast. 

_— Eggs and toast, coffee, and an apple. I was hungry. How many today?_

“I was hungry.” Shameless. 

_30 lunges and 30 push-ups, _Kaito texts back._ You free after work tonight bro?_

_I was going to ask the same, _replies Shuichi. _Come over? _

Shuichi’s door is ajar when Kaito gets home that evening, which means that he’s inside and Kaito is welcome to let himself in. He does, and closes the door behind him as he kicks off his shoes, calling out a greeting. 

He finds Shuichi in the little living area, sitting on his sofa with his legs folded up in a loose, comfortable position. He’s still wearing half of his work suit; the trousers and the shirt, his sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened. He gives Kaito a warm, shy smile and says, ‘Do you want to order in some dinner?’ 

Kaito approaches and flops down on the couch next to him; Shuichi instantly, seemingly instinctively, moves. He slides in a fluid movement off the chair and onto the floor so that he’s kneeling at Kaito’s feet instead, and it’s familiar because he’s sat like this before, but it feels more loaded this time, and Kaito—

Doesn’t know what to do. 

‘Comfortable down there?’ he asks, and Shuichi hums and rests his head against Kaito’s leg as he takes out his phone and opens up a delivery app, passing it to Kaito. 

‘You choose,’ he says. ‘You can order for me.’ 

He picks something quickly, not paying too much attention to what he’s getting. He’s too distracted by the warmth of Shuichi’s weight against his leg, and his desire to comb his fingers through his soft hair. He probably… he probably could, right? 

Experimentally he drops his hand down and strokes Shuichi’s head in one movement, cupping the nape of his neck with his palm. The reaction this has in Shuichi is breathtaking. He melts. His whole body loosening and opening up, he curls inward towards Kaito, his hand coming up to wrap around his leg and his head turning so that he can press his lips to Kaito’s thigh through his trousers. He peppers small little kisses there, closing his eyes, and Kaito—

Isn’t breathing.

‘Shuichi,’ he manages, strangled, after a moment of this. 

'Mm?' 

'I thought we could talk?' 

Shuichi nods, nuzzling his nose into the fabric of Kaito's pants. He shifts, pushing himself up further onto his knees, and nudges Kaito's legs apart. Shuffles around so that he's between them, resting his folded arms on Kaito's lap and propping his chin there. 

It's close enough to a suggestion of other things that aren't talking that Kaito has to squirm, his dick unhelpfully showing interest. 

He tightens his grip on the nape of Shuichi's neck, tilting his head up to look at him. He feels Shuichi shiver at the touch. 

'I'm being serious,' Kaito says. 'We're talking.' 

'Yeah, I just…' Shuichi sighs and looks off to the side. 'Had a bad day at work, is all.'

Kaito frowns. 'Geez. Sorry, do you want to tell me about it?'

Shuichi shakes his head. 'I can't. It's the usual, though. Learned some things I really didn't want to know, and can't do anything about it because of red tape. But when I’m with you…’ He exhales. ‘I don’t have to worry about anything like that.’ 

‘Shuichi, man, I don’t really get it. I’m gonna need you to step me through all this stuff.’ 

Shifting uncomfortably on his knees, Shuichi averts his gaze. ‘Okay.’ 

He doesn’t say anything else, so Kaito has to feel around for somewhere to start. ‘What do you mean by you “don’t have to worry” ‘bout all that?’ 

‘Just…’ He trails off. ‘That it fades away. You know?’ 

‘Like a distraction?’

A distant nod. 

Maybe the texting is _still _the problem, because it seems like now that they’re not split apart by a screen, Shuichi is fading away. 

‘What’s got into you? Why are you going so quiet?’ 

Shuichi buries his face in the crook of his arms and, muffled, says: ‘I’m bad at this. I’m ruining everything.’ His voice hitches on the last word and suddenly Kaito notices that his narrow shoulders are trembling. 

Kaito tenses. ‘Hey. Are you crying?’ 

No response from Shuichi. Nothing except the shaking intensifying. Kaito moves his hand that is still resting at the back of Shuichi’s head, brings it up to stroke soothingly through his hair, thumb rubbing soft circles against his skin. 

‘Hey,’ he says again, lower. ‘Hey.’ 

‘M’fine,’ Shuichi gets out. 

‘You don’t _seem _fine.’ When Shuichi doesn’t respond, Kaito prompts him. ‘Look at me.’ 

He does, his eyes watery and red. He looks _miserable._

‘Alright, that’s enough of this,’ insists Kaito firmly. ‘Get up here. You’re getting a hug.’ 

He pulls Shuichi to his feet and onto the couch, where he falls in a bit of a tumble, tripping when Kaito pulls him close and wraps his arms around him. It takes Shuichi a moment to relax, freezing, hands hovering in the air. Then he slumps against Kaito’s body, wrapping his arms around his back and burying his face in his shoulder. 

Kaito gives good hugs. There’s an art to it: it's a matter of grabbing someone right where they’re emotions are at, and pulling them bodily into the present, grounding them in place, and pouring them full of all the faith Kaito has in them. 

They stay like that for a while. Shuichi stops nearly-crying quickly, but still clings on tight, pressing his face into the fabric of Kaito’s shirt. 

‘What _happened_ today?’ Kaito asks when Shuichi eventually sits up, pushing his hair out of his face with his fingers and wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand. 

‘I really can’t say. Legally. But it’s not that, exactly. It’s…’ He takes a deep breath and exhales it shakily. ‘The stuff at work has me fragile, yeah, and that’s why I wanted, from you…’ He makes a stilted gesture as though searching for words. ‘To take it away, put me in a place where I’m not that person.’ 

‘What person?’ 

Shuichi presses his hand to his head. ‘_A_ person.’ 

‘What?!’ Kaito starts. ‘What do you mean? Of course you’re a person!’ 

‘I know. That’s the problem. _People_ have to… make decisions. Deal with the bad things. Assert themselves. I can do it. I _do_ do it, all day. But afterwards, all I want is to be, ah…’ Shuichi hesitates. ‘Someone’s toy. Just something that only exists for their pleasure, only to do good for them. To treat how they see fit. That’s why I—’ 

‘Stop for a second. Slow down.’ Kaito scrubs a hand down his face. He feels like he’s miles behind. ‘What did you want from me coming over tonight?’ 

‘I wanted to finish what we started last night. Is that… is that not what you wanted?’ 

‘Yeah, but, I don’t know what that _looks like,’ _Kaito admits, and Shuichi’s eyes go wide. ‘You blow me out of the water, man. I don’t know how to keep up with you.’ 

‘Kaito…’ 

‘I also don’t know what you want from me. I don’t know whether you want a, a, a lay or a lover or a, I dunno, life-coach. I’m kind of fine with being any, or all three, but I kinda need to know.’ 

It feels horrible to admit, to feel raw in front of Shuichi — who looks up to him, who listens to him, who takes his advice. To admit that he is hopelessly, helplessly out of his depth and only bluffing at being capable, floundering as he fakes his way into guiding Shuichi; like he is a lighthouse without a lamp or a dog handler without a leash. Only pretending to be strong. 

‘I have no damn idea what I’m doing,’ he confesses. 

‘No one could expect you to know everything,’ Shuichi says. ‘I don’t.’ 

‘But I said I’d take responsibility for you — and I meant it — and you do the things I ask of you, and you talk like you talked _last night, _and you sit on the floor like you’re less than me, and it’s not… You have so much more experience than me, you’re so smart and capable, you work so hard. I have no right to try to guide you in _anything.’ _

To Kaito’s surprise, his words prompt a little breath of laughter out of Shuichi, and a twitch of his lips. 

‘It’s just a kink,’ Shuichi says. ‘It really doesn’t matter, any of that. The only thing that matters is how we want to play.’ 

Well, now Kaito feels _really_ stupid. 

‘I didn’t—’ He starts; but is interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. 

‘Ah, the food,’ Shuichi says, scrambling to his feet. He wipes his eyes again hurriedly. ‘I’ll get it.’ 

He answers the door while Kaito takes a moment to clench his fists in frustration with himself. Shuichi must think he's a fucking moron. 

When Shuichi returns with dinner, he puts it aside on the counter and returns to sit with Kaito instead of opening it. 

He says, 'It's really not about experience or being smart or anything like that. The reason I think you make an excellent dom is because you take charge and you take on the accountability that involves. I don't think you're stupid, but even if you were, I'd take a stupid dom who behaves like you do any day.' 

'That's what you want me to be? A _dom?'_

'I should have discussed this with you sooner. I'm… not good at my end, sometimes.' Shuichi looks at his hands, fiddling in his lap. ‘I tried to check with you, but then I guess I just let myself get carried away. It feels so good to get the little things you give me. Structure, reinforcement, praise. And I figured it was harmless. You seemed to do it naturally, it was something I needed. It didn’t matter if you were a bit blind to some of the… intricacies of it all. If it meant, if it meant we both got what we needed, I didn’t mind.’

Kaito scratches his neck, shaking his head. ‘Shuichi, I dunno, man. That sounds kind of dumb to me.’ 

‘It was irresponsible.’ 

‘Yeah, which is why it’s dumb. What’s the damn point in wanting to — sorry, I don’t know the language for all this, bear with me — yield yourself or defer responsibility to me or whatever, if you’re gonna hold all the cards to your chest and not bring me in to what I’m meant to be doing? I’m not a mind-reader. I can only take that stuff off your plate if you communicate it with me.’ 

‘I was worried you wouldn’t want to.’ 

‘Well, the only way to find out is to talk about it, isn’t it?’

Shuichi looks pensieve for a moment, as though calculating options in his head. ‘My plan looked more like fucking until things worked themselves out somehow.’ He breathed out a sigh. ‘But you’re right.’ 

‘Alright, so—’ Kaito stands up, stepping over to the delivery bag. ‘You stay right there, I’m gonna serve up food. We’re eating, and then we’re talking, okay? Man to man.’ 

If they’ve fumbled things before, Kaito thinks as he pulls out dishes to eat from, it’s no-ones fault. Walls are, after all, hard to talk through. 

*

‘Hey now,’ Kaito objects loudly. ‘I’m not _vanilla. _I’ve done kinky things before. Dressing up. Roleplay. Uh…’ 

‘What sort of roleplay?’ 

‘You know, like. Normal stuff. “We’re two rival pirate captains who’ve been plundering our ways across the high seas and competing over who can get the biggest haul of treasure, but now we’ve both been captured by the British and locked in the hull overnight, and our simmering tension has turned to love.” That sort of thing.’ 

  
Shuichi presses his hand to his chest as if in pain. ‘That’s lovely,’ he gets out. ‘Do you still have the pirate costume?’ 

Of course he does.

*

‘I’m submissive and I’m a masochist,’ Shuichi explains. ‘But I’m not a masochist _because_ I’m submissive, or vice versa. I’ve had incredible scenes where I’ve been put right to the edges of my pain tolerance that haven’t included any power exchange at all, and I’ve had encounters where I’ve gone into very deep, amazing subspace that haven’t involved any pain. I’m telling you because I don’t want you to think you, ah, have to hurt me. Um. Not if that’s not something you think you’d enjoy doing.’ 

‘And you can do without it?’ Kaito adds. ‘It’s not that I wouldn’t be into it a bit, but…’ 

‘I don’t need it to be an element of every dynamic or scene.’ Shuichi seems to sink into the blush crawling up his cheeks. Getting this stuff out of him in full sentences is like watching someone climb into a too-hot bath. He just gets pinker and pinker with every inch deeper he goes. ‘I have other play partners who are able to fulfil that… ah… as you… know. A bit too well. Also, dungeons.’ 

‘Yeah, on that,’ Kaito says. ‘You’re not looking for like, an exclusive relationship, I’m guessing?’ 

Shuichi shakes his head. 'Certain things, like rope or impact stuff, are hobby and community things for me. I enjoy playing with people.'

'Do you have any other doms?' Kaito holds up his hands. 'Not that I'm saying that's a problem, necessarily, just that I don't know how that would—'

'I don't. I don't have anyone else I do any kind of ongoing power exchange with. I have people who take a dominant role in individual scenes, but when that play is over, the dynamic is also gone. I don't think I'd want multiple people doing what you do with me at once. It's too… 24/7, I don't know how I'd be able to balance it. It might just become stressful. Like working multiple jobs, which would defeat the point.' Shuichi pauses. 'Would you get jealous?'

'Me? Jealous?' Kaito snorts. 'It would take a lot to make Kaito Momota jealous.' 

'That's good.' 

'It would only be if they were better than me.' 

‘What would that look like?’ Shuichi asks, his lips quirking slightly. ‘Who’s better at being you than you are?’ 

‘Don’t screw around. I mean if they were better at doing _this _stuff. You’re explaining all this stuff to me from scratch, right? For sure there are people out there who already know what they’re doing.’ 

‘No, I mean it. I’ve already been getting so much out of the little dynamic we’ve been doing, and that’s got nothing to do with your level of experience. It’s just who you are.’ Shuichi pauses. ‘I think it really is just who you are, Kaito.’ 

*

‘So, alright, maybe there’s no need for me to get jealous of other folks you’re hooking up with, but there’s still the matter of the wall.’ 

‘Ah,’ says Shuichi. ‘Yeah.’ 

‘I don’t exactly mind, uh, overhearing. But I don’t want another repeat of the other night. I’m not comfortable with hearing you with someone when that _someone _doesn’t _know _that I can hear.’

Shuichi blinks. ‘You’re okay with hearing me with them, though?’ 

‘Yeah, that’s alright. That’s hot as hell. But it's a bit like they’re putting on a porno and have no idea, you know what I mean?’

Considering, Shuichi presses his thumb to his lips in thought. ‘If I only brought someone back to the apartment,’ he muses, ‘if I told them first about the fact that you might be next door and that we have an arrangement, would that work for you?’

Kaito pulls a face. ‘Who’d go for that, though?’

‘An exhibitionist, probably.’ 

‘Sure, I mean — I guess, yeah.’ 

‘Is that something you’d _enjoy?’ _

‘Dammit dude, yeah it’s something I’d enjoy. It’s something I’ve _been_ enjoying.’ 

‘Hmm,’ says Shuichi. 

A long pause.

‘... Shuichi?’ 

‘Hm? Oh, ah, yeah, I’m sorry. I was just thinking.’ 

‘Yeah, you looked like you’d gone walkabout. What’s up?’ 

‘Nothing. Well. No, I guess, I was just thinking it would be hot, ah, if you were to order me sometimes to bring someone home and fuck them.’ 

‘Uh, yeah, wait— _oh.’ _

‘And if… you’d tell me it’s because I’m just too much of an insatiable slut and you can’t be bothered fucking me, so I’ve gotta go out and get it somewhere else.’ 

‘Hey, now, that’s—’

‘But you’re still gonna listen, of course,’ Shuichi continues, talking over him. His pupils have blown wide, pitch black. ‘To make sure I’m doing it right. Because you’re not going to let me slack off—’ 

‘Just like I don’t let you slack off with training!’ Kaito adds, catching on. ‘Because if you’re gonna do it, you’re gonna do it to the end, or there’s no point in doing it at all.’ 

Shuichi lets out a little choked noise in his throat, almost a whimper. ‘So I’ve gotta use my body to make them feel good, and I’ve gotta be loud so you can hear it all, and I’ve gotta count out every time I come so that you know how many times to spank me later, because it wasn’t _for me__,_ why did I think I could _come? _Why wasn’t I saving it all up for daddy?’ 

‘I dunno man, I don’t think you even need me here to make up rules for you, you seem to have it all covered.’ 

‘Well, I’ll leave it in your hands to enforce them,’ Shuichi laughs, breathlessly. ‘Sorry.’ 

‘Don’t be sorry, it’s good to see you so worked up over something.’ 

Shuichi shivers and shifts on the spot to move to his knees, shuffling across the couch towards Kaito. ‘Can I get on the floor again now?’ 

‘Yeah, if you tell me what’s up with the “daddy” thing while you’re down there.’ 

Shuichi can’t get down quick enough. He slides off the cushion to sit on the mat and immediately props his chin on Kaito’s knee like an enthusiastic puppy. ‘Oh, it’s nothing really,’ he answers. ‘If you don’t like it we can work out something you prefer. I just picked it up.’ 

‘What’s wrong with “Kaito”?’ 

‘I find it nice to have an honorific that signifies the power exchange. It helps reinforce my submission and reminds me of my role, which helps get me into subspace. If we can find something that works, it should do something similar for you, but the other way around obviously.’ 

‘Can you gimme some examples?’ 

‘“Master”, “Sir”, “Milord”, “Your Highness”...’

‘Hmn, nah. I'm not into any of those at all.' 

'You called me "baby".' 

'Yeah, but that's like, a normal thing to call someone. It's just automatic, really.' 

'But you don't like "daddy"?' 

'I don't hate it. I just feel like,' Kaito scrubs his hand through the back of his hair. 'It should be for someone a bit older than me. We're the same age.' 

'Well, it's not literal.' 

'Or like I should go deck myself out head to toe in leather.' He thinks, stroking his goatee. 'What about something like… Lieutenant?'

Shuichi looks amused. 'Not Admiral?' 

'I can work my way up to Admiral. You don't start at Admiral. That's a lifetime career kind of thing. No one starts out with their own Enterprise, you know?'

'Hold on, is this a Star Trek thing?' 

'Shut it, if you don't like it, that's fine—' 

'I like it, Lieutenant,' Shuichi says, trying it out on his tongue. 'If it's what you want.' 

Kaito leans forward, reaching out to take Shuichi's chin in his hand. He squeezes his cheeks lightly. 'Which would make _you_ my little Cadet,' he tells him. 

Shuichi laughs, so Kaito squeezes firmer. 'Do you find it funny, Cadet?' 

'No, Lieutenant.' 

'You're still smiling,' Kaito presses. 

'I'm sorry, Lieutenant.' 

'Can you say it for me without laughing? Tell me your rank. Report in.' 

'I'm your Cadet, Lieutenant,' Shuichi repeats obediently. 'Reporting for duty.' 

'Good.' Kaito lets him go, and pats his head. 

'Wow,' says Shuichi. He seems horrified with himself. 'That's actually _really_ working for me, somehow.' 

*

‘This was the good thing today,’ Shuichi tells him, after yet more discussion. It’s getting very late now, and Kaito feels both awash with unfamiliar energy and like he’s exhausted some emotional muscles he’s never really used before. ‘Doing this. Talking about it. You were right.’ 

‘Well duh, of course I was.’ Kaito stifles a yawn behind his hand. ‘I’m always right about this kinda stuff.’ 

Shuichi is still on the floor, kneeling at Kaito’s feet. He also looks tired, his eyelashes blinking heavily as he tries to keep himself alert. 

Kaito makes an executive decision. ‘Alright, bed time,’ he announces. ‘I’ll go home. I want you to get some rest.’ 

Shuichi nods and, at a motion from Kaito, stands up. He waits, watching Kaito curiously. 

‘Er,’ starts Kaito. ‘Are you up for doing one more thing before going to sleep?’ 

A flash passes over Shuichi’s expression, his eyes darkening and his cheeks warming. ‘Yes, Lieutenant.’ 

Kaito grins. ‘What was that?’ 

‘No, I, uh— Anything you want, Lieutenant.’ 

‘Hey, no, tell me what you were thinking. I want to know!’ 

Shuichi takes a hesitant step forward to where Kaito is still sitting, legs sprawled, on the couch. He puts one knee on the cushion next to Kaito’s thigh and pauses, looking to Kaito for permission. Kaito nods, not too sure what Shuichi’s plan is. 

It’s not a complicated plan. He sits down so that he’s straddling Kaito’s thigh, resting his weight on Kaito’s knee. Then he takes the end of the loose tie he’s still wearing and, splotches of colour appearing on his cheeks, puts it into Kaito’s hand. 

There isn’t a lot of room for misinterpretation. Kaito grins and tugs the tie, wrapping it around his knuckles so that Shuichi is pulled in closer. Shuichi moans at the motion, and Kaito swallows the sound as their lips meet. Shuichi is a vocal kisser, little sounds of want and affirmation and pleasure escaping his mouth constantly, and all of them muffled as Kaito deepens the kiss and takes them, his free hand coming up to wrap in Shuichi’s hair and hold him firmly close. 

It sounds like he’s kissing Shuichi through a barrier and tearing it down — only, there’s no wall. 

Kaito releases the tension on the tie and lets Shuichi go. ‘Is that what you wanted?’ he asks. 

‘Yeah,’ sighs Shuichi happily. He leans forward to rest his head on Kaito’s shoulder. ‘And also I thought you might want to let me suck you off.’ 

‘Ngh—’ Kaito gets out. ‘God, man. I mean…’ 

Shuichi’s head turns and his lips brush Kaito’s neck, crawling up to behind his ear. His hand, which is resting on Kaito’s chest, begins to travel downwards. He nuzzles his nose into Kaito’s skin with suggestion. 

It takes willpower, but Kaito grabs Shuichi’s travelling hand by the wrist and says, ‘No. Not tonight. You’re exhausted, Cadet.’ 

‘I’m always exhausted,’ murmurs Shuichi, as though that’s encouraging. 

‘No. Part of pushing ourselves forward is knowing when we’re pushing too far and when to rest, taking the time to regroup and look after ourselves.’ Kaito bounces his leg, prompting Shuichi to get up. ‘Now c’mon, bed.’ 

A very sleepy Shuichi stumbles slightly and Kaito knows that he’s making the right call, even if his other head disagrees. Still holding the tie, he tugs him toward the bedroom gently, which makes Shuichi glow as he follows. Once in there, Kaito releases his grip and points to the bed. Shuichi crawls onto it in a quick, tired motion, and rolls onto his back.

‘Thank you, Lieutenant,’ he mumbles, eyes already fluttering closed. 

‘You gotta get undressed, buddy.’ 

Shuichi shakes with silent amusement, eyes still closed. He unknots his tie and pulls it off, throwing it in the direction of the dresser, and starts to unbutton his white shirt. Little peeks of pale skin appear in quick flashes, along with the white fabric of his binder. When the shirt is fully open it comes off, thrown in the same direction as the tie and then, with a little wiggling, the binder is off and follows them. Shuichi drops his hands down to his belt buckle.

Kaito’s mouth is getting progressively dryer. Shuichi looks gorgeous like this, hair messy, half-undressed on the bed, stripping himself unabashedly for Kaito. Finally he’s pulling off his trousers so that he’s left in just his briefs, and Kaito wants to do nothing except climb onto the bed and ravish him. He settles for going over and getting onto the mattress just enough to kiss him again on the lips, before pressing another to his forehead and standing up. 

Shuichi whines. 

‘The one last thing that I mentioned,’ Kaito tells him. ‘Something I want you to do for me every night before you go to sleep.’ 

Blinking his eyes open, Shuichi clearly tries to make himself attentive. ‘Yes, Lieutenant?’ 

‘Alright, I want one thing that _you _want from tomorrow. A goal or a desire, or something you want to get done. And we’ll make it happen.’ 

Shuichi hums, clearly thinking. He chews the nail on his pinky finger for a moment, before saying, ‘I want to find out what your cum tastes like.’ 

_Well, that’s extremely achievable._

‘You’ve got it, Cadet,’ says Kaito. He lets himself out of the apartment and back into his own, where he flops down on his own bed in a mirror of how Shuichi is lying on the other side of the wall. 

He was right that his neighbor would be the end of him, and the thrill of it warms through him like the burn of the sun.

*

A slice of toast, one hundred push-ups, a text about a very fat pigeon that apparently made Shuichi’s day, and then Shuichi is on his knees in Kaito’s apartment with his face pressed to the front of Kaito’s trousers, nose nudging Kaito’s dick, breathing deeply in and out he waits (not exactly patiently) for — _something. _

It all happened very quickly and all Kaito can think to say for a moment is, ‘Did you only wear that jacket over here?’ 

The peacoat is enough to cover Shuichi down to his ass. Barely. 

‘Um. No one saw,’ Shuichi assures him. ‘The hallway is always empty this time of day.’ 

He's not wearing the jacket now. The jacket is in a heap on the inside of the door. Shuichi is completely naked, looking like some sort of classical painting as he prostrates himself on his knees and turns his dark eyelashes down, his lips half open as though waiting for Kaito's cock. 

Well, not "as though". That _is_ what he's waiting for. He's been fairly upfront about that. 

‘But _why?’ _asks Kaito, and then adds, ‘Cadet.’ Trying to get into the habit of having it roll off his tongue. Even if Shuichi had thought it was a silly pet name for a moment, he seems to have adapted quickly to enjoy hearing it. 

‘I want to be accessible for you,’ Shuichi explains. ‘Ah, for… convenience. I would like it if, um…’

‘If what?’

‘...If it were a rule. If we are inside one of our apartments together, I shouldn’t be wearing clothes past the door. That way, uh, you can always see where I belong. Lieutenant.’ 

Kaito stares for a moment, and a series of images flash through his head like a rapid slideshow. Shuichi naked and sitting at Kaito’s feet like he did yesterday, Kaito fully dressed and stroking his hair. Shuichi greeting him at the door of his own apartment, ready to be pushed against the wall and fucked without a word. Shuichi making tea in the kitchen while Kaito stands behind him, feeling up his ass and slipping his fingers inside him as he tries to concentrate. 

‘Yes, yes, yes,’ Shuichi moans, and for a moment Kaito startles, thinking either Shuichi can read his thoughts or he was accidentally talking out loud. But then he realises his body has been speaking for him, his cock swelling to hardness, and Shuichi can feel it. He’s nuzzling his face against where his trousers are now tenting, and as Kaito stares down at him starts mouthing against the shape of him, staring up at him with dark grey eyes. 

‘Take it out, Cadet.’ 

Shuichi fumbles with the button at the top of Kaito’s trousers in his hurry to get it open. ‘Thank you, Lieutenant,’ he breathes as he unzips Kaito’s fly and pulls out his cock through the front of his boxers. For some reason Kaito can’t help but think it’s ridiculously hot that he’s still completely clothed, his dick the only part of him exposed, while Shuichi is bare like this. He’s all narrow, pale lines, bony shoulders and cute little ass. 

Shuichi licks up Kaito’s cock in a flat, wet motion and puts his lips to the head, tongue caressing the tip gently, exploring him in small, focused movements. His eyebrows are furrowing slightly, like he’s concentrating hard on tasting Kaito; as though its a task that requires all his mental devotion. 

It really isn’t. It’s been long enough for Kaito and this is hot enough that it’s going to take all _his_ attention not to just messily shoot off over Shuichi’s face at the wrong second. 

Shuichi slides his lips down Kaito’s length. Slowly, millimeters at a time, and Kaito thinks he’s going to pause and pull back for a moment when he seems to reach the limit of how deep he can take him. But instead, Shuichi just closes his eyes, breathes through his nose and relaxes his throat. It’s off the charts. A groan is forced out of Kaito’s throat as he feels his cock disappear down Shuichi’s, the base of his tongue and the tight channel of his throat squeezing the head. Kaito scrambles, grabbing Shuichi’s hair with his hands as he involuntarily curls forward, his dick hitting the back of Shuichi’s throat and Shuichi just— taking it. 

‘Ahh--hhh-hhhghh,’ Kaito gets out eloquently. ‘Dammit, dammit, dammit.’ 

Shuichi taps his leg with his hand a few times and, getting the message, Kaito forces himself to let go of his hair and let Shuichi withdraw — which he does, spluttering. His eyes blink open, and Kaito can see that they’ve gone red and watery. He is gasping in fast breaths, his chest rising and falling. 

Just as Kaito is about to say something — apologise? Ask if he’s okay? — Shuichi nods, swallowing, and says, slightly hoarsely, ‘Again.’ 

And immediately swallows down Kaito’s dick. 

Kaito is not going to last three minutes if this is what he’s getting. He’s not going to last _two_ minutes. Honestly, one might be a stretch. 

_‘Shuichi,’_ he gasps as his cock hits the back of Shuichi’s gullet again, causing him to gag, tears clinging to his dark lashes like stardust. ‘Fuck. Baby, I’m not gonna— Pull back, I need—’ 

Shuichi slides off his dick, replacing his mouth with his hand and stroking, mouthing wetly at the tip, seemingly unabashed by the strand of saliva clinging to his lower lip, or the way he looks wrecked. ‘Mm?’ 

‘St-stop for a second, I’m gonna come if you—’ 

Shuichi stops stroking and blinks up at him. He pulls back just far enough to wipe his mouth with the back of his other hand. ‘I want to taste you, Lieutenant,’ he says. He presses a kiss to Kaito’s cock. ‘Where do you want to come? Down my throat, or in my mouth, or on my face?’ Another kiss. Another. Little kisses all up and down Kaito’s shaft. 

‘I—’ Kaito thinks through the options. They’re all _too good. _‘Open up your throat for me, Cadet,’ he decides. ‘Take it down again.’ 

He closes a fist in Shuichi’s hair and pulls — not enough to really hurt, but enough to tilt Shuichi’s head back. Melting like butter, Shuichi seems to surrender to the motion and opens his mouth obediently, staring up at Kaito with anticipation. 

Kaito slides his cock into Shuichi’s mouth. Shuichi relaxes, lets him go deeper, lets him fuck himself into Shuichi’s throat again, the tight passage contracting around his cock and he knows it’s fucking _over. _

‘Swallow, baby,’ Kaito gets out, body tensing, his hips pressing forward so that he’s fucking himself into Shuichi’s face. Shuichi swallows, and Kaito shoots off into his mouth. 

He can hear — no, _feel — _Shuichi moaning as his throat and mouth fill up with Kaito’s cum. The sound hums around him, Shuichi’s throat tightening. Kaito can’t help but squeeze his fingers tight in Shuichi’s hair as he pulses through his orgasm. 

Shuichi makes a choking, gagging sound. His face is red, his eyes are spilling tears; but when Kaito tries to pull back he makes another sound of objection, chasing the movement with his mouth to keep Kaito down his throat until the last drop of cum has spilled. 

Finally he pulls off, gasping. A little bit of Kaito’s cum has escaped his mouth and Shuichi puts his finger to his lips, swiping it up. He puts his finger back into his mouth, licking it, and swallowing it down. 

‘Ah,’ he says. ‘Thank you, Lieutenant.’

_I should be thanking you._

Before Kaito can start getting words out, Shuichi puts his mouth back on his softening cock and gently licks him again, cleaning up any lingering mess. A full body shudder runs through Kaito and his knees nearly buckle. Shuichi laughs breathlessly and pulls back, touching Kaito again only to tuck him back into his trousers and zip him up. 

‘St-stand up, Cadet,’ Kaito gets out. His own voice is rough and low to his ears and Shuichi responds to it obediently, getting to his feet and standing in front of Kaito. 

‘Was that okay?’ he asks, not quite meeting Kaito’s eyes. He looks off to the side, and Kaito can’t quite tell if he’s being shy or deferential, or both. 

‘Dammit Shuichi, if you can’t tell from the fact that I blew my load in all of about thirty seconds, _yeah, _it was _okay__.’_

Shuichi covers his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. 

‘Now c’mere,’ Kaito says. It’s a bit of a pointless order, since Shuichi is standing very much within arms reach — but Kaito reaches out to take him by the jaw, pulling him closer. Shuichi tilts his head up into the touch as though he is expecting a kiss, but instead Kaito drops his other hand, fingers shaking slightly (can’t let Shuichi tell), to slip between Shuichi’s legs. 

He’s dripping wet, slick against Kaito’s fingers. Kaito slips two digits a little way inside him and rubs his thumb over his clit in a light, teasing motion. ‘You’re hard for me, baby,’ he murmurs. He pulls out the two fingers inside Shuichi and strokes them over Shuichi’s swollen little dick, squeezing it between the slick digits, rubbing him up and down. 

‘I, ah—’ Shuichi gasps. ‘All I’ve been thinking about all day. Had to, I had to sneak away to touch myself at work because I couldn’t concentrate. Wanted to taste you so much.’ 

If Kaito hadn’t just come harder than he’s come in a long time, he’d be getting hard again already. His dick seems to be considering giving it a valiant effort. 

‘I want to know about that, Cadet,’ he groans into Shuichi’s ear. ‘From now on.’ 

‘Whenever I get myself off?’ 

‘Whenever you come wishing it was me,’ Kaito clarifies. He strokes Shuichi’s dick a little faster and Shuichi stumbles, bracing himself on Kaito’s chest, gasping. 

‘Y--Yes, Lieutenant.’ 

‘Are you close now?’ 

‘I’m getting— getting close,’ Shuichi breathes. ‘I’m not going to be able to, to keep standing. Please.’ 

Kaito takes his hand away and steps back. ‘How ‘bout we practice?’ he asks. 

Shuichi blinks, looking dazed. ‘Sorry?’ 

‘Go get on the bed, Cadet. I want you to touch yourself and tell me what you wish it was I was doing to you. Got it?’ 

Shuichi stares at him for a moment before sucking in a breath and walking to the bedroom at the back of the apartment on trembling legs. 

He glances over his shoulder as he climbs onto Kaito’s bed, checking that he’s watching. Shuichi melts onto the purple duvet, face down and ass up, looking at Kaito out of the corner of his eye where his face is pressed into the bedding. He puts his hand between his legs, propping himself up on his knees as he slides his fingers through his own wetness, spreading himself open. 

‘I might make a mess,’ he says apologetically. 

‘Good,’ responds Kaito. ‘Tell me what you’re wanting.’ 

‘I…’ Shuichi trails off. He lets out a shaky breath. Squeezes his eyes shut. He seems to be struggling to get his thoughts together. He strokes his dick in a simulation of what Kaito was doing a few moments ago. ‘I’m thinking that I don’t want to tell you,’ he says, and it sounds hesitant and sheepish; until he continues. ‘Because I want to see if I can get you to punish me.’ 

Kaito opens his mouth to respond, but Shuichi talks over him — and Kaito realises that he’s not actually objecting, he’s doing what he’s been told to do.

‘I think you have it in you to put me in my place,’ Shuichi continues. ‘If you know I’m doing wrong. I’m not usually… er, a brat, or anything like that. I like to be good. I want to be good for you, but I also just want to see that side of you. I want to know what it looks like when you think I’m not being my best, and you want to see me do better.’ He lets out a shaky moan, slipping his fingers inside himself. 'Would you be mean?'

Kaito can hear how wet Shuichi is with every movement of his hand. He leans against the doorway to the bedroom, folding his arms so as not to betray himself. He’s getting hard again and he doesn’t want Shuichi seeing how affected he is by this yet. 

‘So… so that’s what I’m thinking about. How I could get you to do that and what it would take for you to cut loose on me. I’m imagining if it happened now, and you grabbed me by the hair and pushed me down onto the bed. Took my hands and pinned them to the mattress to that I couldn’t touch myself, right when— right when I’m already close. Maybe I’m so close that it _does_ send me over the edge, just feeling the sting of you pulling the hair on my scalp. But not a real orgasm, just the ghost of one, so that I’m left twitching and aching and frustrated. And when you notice that I’ve already come, you let go of my hair so that you can slap my cheek. It stings, and because I’m already pathetic from the ruined orgasm I just start to cry, and you—’ 

Sometimes Kaito feels that every word that comes out of Shuichi’s mouth awakens something inside him that he had no idea existed. It’s like the other night, hearing him dirty talking him through the wall. Not being able to act on it forces him to listen, to hear the words tumbling from Shuichi’s filthy tongue and _feel_ them, deep in his bones, until everything Shuichi says becomes a seed in Kaito’s brain, growing into tree that he wants to climb. 

‘— You see that I’m crying but it doesn’t stop you, because you don’t think I’ve learned my lesson yet. So you sit on the bed and you tell me to get over your lap, which I do—’ 

Shuichi is fingering himself hard and fast, his free hand clutching the blanket tightly, as though he needs an anchor. His toes are curling and his legs are shaking, and Kaito can tell he’s very, very close. 

‘Ah— And…’ He trails off again, gasping for breath. ‘Ah— Ahh—’ 

‘You can do it, Cadet,’ Kaito says. ‘I’m leaving this to you. Finish the thought.’ 

‘Oh, you— you spank me,’ Shuichi manages. ‘Is that good enough? Can I come, please, Lieutenant?’ 

‘Yeah,’ says Kaito, who hadn’t realised he was expected to give permission. Then he thinks about it and almost retracts the statement, almost tells Shuichi to hold it off: because the moment he realises what it would do to Shuichi to tell him to _stop _when he’s in this state, nothing seems more appealing. He wants to see him writhe, he wants to see him choke on the agony of having to take his hand away, remove the source of pleasure, and see what happens. Would he beg? Would he cry? 

But it is too late to find out. The moment Kaito gives permission, Shuichi slams his fingers inside himself again and seizes up, his body tensing as he comes. 

‘Oh no—’ Shuichi gets out, and it takes Kaito a second to understand why, before it becomes extremely obvious when Shuichi squirts all over his bedding. It comes as a flood, drenching his fingers and legs and soaking the sheets. Shuichi really hadn’t been kidding when he said he might make a mess. 

Shuichi slumps his body, trembling all over, and says: ‘Sorry about that. I’ll, I’ll do the laundry—’

Kaito can’t breathe. For a moment he can’t speak, and then something clicks inside him, and he realises:

He realises that Shuichi is right there. This isn’t like him talking to Kaito through the wall after all. He’s not being forced to listen. He’s not being forced to wait. There’s nothing keeping him from going over there and climbing onto the bed right now. 

And so he does. The mattress dips under his weight and he kneels in the wet patch and it dampens the knee of his trousers, warm and wet. He takes Shuichi by the hips, grabbing him firmly, and says: ‘Do you think _that_ was worthy of a punishment, Cadet?’ 

‘M… making a mess?’ 

‘Yeah.’ 

‘I—’ Shuichi stammers. Kaito can hear the surprise in his voice, and the keenness. ‘Yes. Yes, I think it is.’ 

Kaito raises one hand and brings it down firmly on Shuichi’s ass in a smack. 

Shuichi lets out a cry, his hand clutching the duvet jerking and pulling the bedding in close. He bites down on it. Muffled: _‘Ye—es!’ _

Kaito releases him, ignoring the little sound of loss that escapes Shuichi’s throat. ‘Get on my lap,’ he says. Shuichi scrambles to do so, pushing himself up and turning around, slipping slightly on the bed in his hurry. Kaito shifts so that he’s sitting on the edge of the mattress and Shuichi can put himself over his knees, elbows resting on the bed and ass in the air. Once there, Kairo feels him wriggle slightly, clearly feeling Kaito’s hardon poking him. _That_ might be worthy of a spank, he thinks, as Shuichi wriggles again, clearly deliberately rubbing himself against Kaito’s cock. 

‘Hey now,’ Kaito says, warningly. ‘I wanna see you being good, like you said.’ 

Shuichi stills. 

Kaito clears his throat. ‘Now tell me how many slaps you deserve.’ 

‘You decide,’ Shuichi says, and Kaito gives him a light one right on the cheek of his ass just for the insolence. 

‘Nah, I’m the one gonna be washing these sheets later,’ Kaito tells him. ‘I want you to tell me how much you think my time is worth. That’s part of being sure of yourself. Being a judge of what it means when you mess up.’ He leans in closer, whispering into Shuichi’s ear. ‘(You didn’t mess up by the way, baby, it was hot as hell.)’ 

Shuichi giggles and hushes him. Then goes quiet to consider.

Kaito is curious to hear his answer. He knows Shuichi _likes_ pain and punishment, so he might high-ball it just to get the most out of it. But he also knows Kaito is new to all this, and might go low to ease him in. He’s interested to find out what’s going to motivate him more. 

‘Ten,’ Shuichi answers after a moment. 

Kaito suspects that this is definitely lowballing. 

‘Ask for it properly.’ 

‘Please spank me ten times, Lieutenant,’ he says. ‘I need to make up for cumming all over your sheets.’ 

‘Good boy,’ says Kaito, then splutters. ‘I mean, thank you, Cadet.’ 

‘Ah, “Good boy” is fine,’ murmurs Shuichi, and it clearly is. Kaito can see him getting wetter. Then Shuichi grabs the blanket and buries his face in it, and Kaito realises he’s blushing again. ‘I should tell you,’ he adds. ‘I sometimes squirt from spanking.’ 

Kaito has to hold back a groan at the thought. ‘Well,’ he says. ‘Then we add one spank for every time you do, if it happens. I’m gonna leave the counting to you.’ 

‘Yes, Lieutenant.’ 

‘Ready?’ 

‘Yes, Lieutenant.’ 

Kaito brings his hand down in a solid slap on Shuichi’s ass. The sound carries. If Shuichi had been in his own room, Kaito certainly would have heard it from here. Shuichi jerks slightly at the impact, letting out a little moan. ‘One,’ he gasps.

As Kaito spanks him, he notices that Shuichi does seem to use the motion from each spank and the little moment of jumping from the impact to grind himself off against Kaito’s erection. It’s a bit cheeky of him, Kaito thinks. He’s not going to stop him, but it is a little bit cheeky. 

‘T-two... three... four... fi-five.’ 

‘You’re doing good, Cadet,’ Kaito says. ‘The next ones are going to be a little harder.’ 

Shuichi nods encouragingly. 

Kaito brings his hand down with more strength this time, causing Shuichi to buck and moan. 

‘Si-ix,’ he groans. ‘Oh, I’m gonna—’ 

Another spank, equally firm, and Shuichi tenses. ‘Seven,’ he gasps, before a shudder runs through his body and Kaito feels his own leg suddenly warm and dampen. 

‘Holy shit,’ Kaito says. ‘You actually did. Uh, I guess we’re going up to eleven now.’ 

He spanks him again and Shuichi jerks and cries out, another spurt of liquid soaking Kaito’s lap and — this time — his hand, which he dipped between his legs at the last moment. The gush of warm liquid isn’t as powerful as the first one on the bed, but it's enough that Kaito’s trousers are getting soaked through. 

‘Ah… Eight?’ Shuichi stammers, and it sounds like a question. He’s pressing his face into the blankets with his hands tensed up on both sides of him, looking completely flushed and overwhelmed. It’s beautiful. Kaito thinks; is this how he always looks on the other side of the wall?

It’s better than he ever imagined. 

‘That’s right,’ Kaito tells him, and spanks him again, quickly and firmly. This time he aims his impact deliberately down, lower, closer to Shuichi’s hole — and gets what he was hoping for: a sound of surprise and another rush of liquid over his hand. 

‘At this rate we’ll be going all night,’ he says, half as a warning, half in awe. 

‘Nine,’ Shuichi counts. ‘Oh my _god, _I need to come. Properly. This is t-torture.’ 

‘Good,’ says Kaito. ‘It’s meant to be a punishment, isn’t it?’ 

He spanks him again, twice in succession. 

‘Ten, eleven,’ Shuichi gasps. He shudders all over, but that’s all this time. Probably for the best.

The last two spanks are delivered roundly and firmly onto each cheek of Shuichi’s ass, which is now glowing pink. 

“Twelve and thirteen,’ Shuichi breathes. ‘Thank you, Lieutenant. Please—’ 

‘“Please” what?’ 

‘Please fuck me,’ Shuichi begs. ‘I need to come on your cock, I need it, please, please, please, please—’ 

He’s begging and moaning right here, and Kaito stares in amazement, because he knows that voice, he knows that tone, he’s heard it so many times before on the other side of the wall, and now there’s no wall separating them at all. 

No barrier. Nothing stopping him from picking up Shuichi and throwing him on his back on the bed and fucking him until he screams. 

He does just that, getting off the bed just far enough to grab a condom from the drawer, and he thinks, this was never a him problem. 

Shuichi spreads his legs, holding them up under his knees to give Kaito access to all of him. He groans low and long when Kaito pushes inside him, and Kaito can’t help but bury his face in Shuichi’s shoulder at the sensation, letting out an embarrassing gutteral sound of his own. 

This was never a Shuichi problem, he thinks. 

He fucks him hard, so that the bed shakes the wall behind them, and if there was anyone next door, they’d be kept awake. But there’s not, because they’re both right here. Shuichi wraps his arms around Kaito’s shoulders and cries out little broken sounds. 

This was never a body corporate problem. 

Kaito reaches between them when he feels himself getting close, stroking Shuichi’s dick hard and fast as he fucks him. Shuichi seizes up, tensing, gasping for air. 

This was definitely not a texting problem. 

When Shuichi comes, he milks Kaito’s dick with his whole body, forcing him over the edge after him. Kaito groans, thrusting hard inside him and emptying himself, wrapping his arms around Shuichi and kissing him deeply. 

Because this isn’t a problem at all. 


End file.
